вторник, 22 января 2018
King Arthur and Excalibur
*
* *
Merlin: I am a Magician. My name is Merlin. I have a
great power. I can see and hear everything that happens around. Now I hear the
voice of Uther, the king of England.(holding his magic crystal ball)Oh,
my magic crystal ball, let me see Uther an talk to him.
Uther: “I have won enough battles to rule a thousand
countries, yet England stands divided. What else must I do? (Merlin
enters the room)Merlin? Why do you appear now, when I wish to be
alone?”
Merlin: “Don’t be surprised, Uther. I’ve come here to
help you.
Uther: “Can you help me?”
Merlin: “I believe I can.”
Uther: “How? No one can stop our people fighting each
other.”
Merlin: “Excalibur can.”
Uther: “Excalibur? What is Excalibur?”
Merlin: “Excalibur is the most powerful sword in the
world. Whoever owns it cannot be killed or lose a battle.”
Uther: “Give it to me! Imusthaveit!”
Merlin: “It doesn’t belong to me, but to the lady of
the Lake. She must feel that you deserve it. But before we go you must promise
me something.”
Uther: “Say it and it is yours.”
Merlin: “I want your first-born child.”
Uther: “But I have no children. It doesn’t seem a
great deal to ask. OK. I give you my word of honour. You’ll get everything you
want.” (A woman's hand appeared from the water, holding the gold handle
of the silver sword called Excalibur.)
Merlin: “Take it, Uther. It is yours if you want it.”
Uther: “Oh, it’s great! I’m filled with a strange
energy.”
Merlin: “You’ve made a promise Uther. Do not forget
what it is.”
Uther: “Promise? (looking at the sword)
What promise? Oh! How strong and powerful I will become!
*
* *
Merlin: “Several years have passed.(looking
through his crystal ball)The Queen has got a son. And what about Uther?
Oh! He has completely forgotten his promise. Well, it’s time to go.”(entering
the room) “I’ve come to claim what is mine.” (He entered the
chamber where the Queen was playing with
her baby son. Uther followed behind.)
Queen:(raising from her seat) “What is it Uther? You do not look
well. You are deathly pale. Has anything terrible happened?”
Uther:My word of honour! The king’sword! I’ve
promised to give our son for this sword.
Queen: “You fool! You would give up your own child
for the price of a sword?”
Uther: “Please Merlin, I beg you, don't take our
child! I'll give you anything else you ask.”
Merlin: “You gave me your word of honour. The child is
mine.” (He took the baby from Igraine’s arms. She screamed for the King
to take the child back, but Uther was weak against Merlin’s powers. Merlin cast
a spell over the King and Queen, which kept them from moving and left them with
the child in his hands.)
Uther: I’ll take Excalibur and go to the forest to
find Merlin and my son. (shouting loudly) Merlin! Merlin! Give me
back my son! (kneeling and dying) Oh, Merlin! I have kept my
promise. But I’m dying. I will leave Excalibur in this rock, but you must make
my son a king. (Uther rose up with all his strength and pushed Excalibur
into the rock right up to the handle.
The King fell down on the ground and died next to that rock. Merlin appeared
beside Uther.)
Merlin: “No man shall pull this sword from this rock
unless he is the next king of England.”
*
* *
Merlin:“For many years after Uther's death, knights
from all over the country tried to pull Excalibur from the stone, but none
succeeded. Theycompetedtosee who was the strongest knight. When these
competitions ended, the winner would go to the rock, with a crowd of people
watching, to see if he would be the next king of England.”
Kay: “Arthur! Where is my sword? The games are
about to begin.”
Arthur: Oh, Master, Knight Kay! I… I don’t know.
Perhaps, I’ve misplaced your sword.
Kay: I want you to find my sword immediately. Bring
it to me for the next round of games.
Arthur: OK. I’ll try to find another sword for you,
master. (Arthur ran away and soon came back happy to have found a sword.
Arthur handed it to Kay, who stood admiring its magnificence.)
Kay: “Arthur! Where did you get this?”
Arthur: “I pulled it from the rock just behind the
trees and ran to you, master.”(The crowd around them held their breath.)
Man 1: “The boy. He’s pulled the sword from the
rock.” (Arthur became uneasy, not knowing what he had done. Merlin
appeared beside the boyand placed a hand on his shoulder.)
Merlin: “This boy is the son of Uther, the last king
of England. He is the heir to the throne.”
Man 2: “This servant boy cannot be a king.”
Merlin: “This young man is your king. I know it
because I am Merlin, a Magician. It’s me who had made Arthur a servant to teach
him what it is like to be ruled by other men.
Man 3:But he has to prove to the people that he is
truly the King's son.”
Merlin:(to Arthur) “Put Excalibur back into the rock, Arthur. And
now you, Kay, and any others who think you are worthy of the sword, try to pull
it out.” (They tried but no one could.) “If this boy, Arthur,
pulls the sword from the rock he is the true king of England and you
must do as he says.” (Arthur pulled Excalibur from the rock and held it
up for all the crowd to see. The people knelt with respect.)
Arthur: “With this sword, I will unite England into a
land of peace and prosperity.”